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One night in February 2020, the doorbell rang at Brian and Michelle Valardo’s West St. John’s House, around 12:30.
That night, their lives will change forever, because a police officer told Brian that his brother Pat (his best friend, business partner and protector) entered the Kenny Beccasis River on the ATV (ATV) ( The icy, open waters on the Kennebecasis River.
Brian and Michelle rushed to the hospital, but 58-year-old Pat was unable to do so.
He is the uncle of two girls of Brian and Michelle, and a well-known local businessman, and he owns a popular bar with Brian. His friends and family all remember his wit and generosity.
Brian said: “Today’s pain may still be as great as a year ago.”
“In a way, these things can take a long, long time to overcome… Obviously, you will never be able to overcome it. It will definitely change lives in many ways.”
A CBC News investigation found that since 2018, Pat Valardo was one of at least 111 people killed on ATVs or snowmobiles in the Atlantic.
They left 111 families, like Brian and Michelle Valardo, leaving a void that can never be filled.
During this time, New Brunswick had the highest number of deaths, with 47 people killed, followed by Newfoundland and Labrador with 38 people. There were 22 deaths in Nova Scotia and 4 deaths in Prince Edward Island.
CBC News provides data on ATV and snowmobile deaths dating back to 2012. Previously analyzed the related factors of ATV and snowmobile deaths in the area from 2012 to 2018.
Last year was the year with the highest number of deaths from all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles in the Atlantic. In 2020, at least 42 people died in four provinces and cities, including Pat Valardo.
Using data from police and media reports, CBC News tries to determine what happened in every crash that resulted in death.
Data shows that in nearly one-third of these situations, the rider lost control of the machine, or deviated from the route, rolled or turned over, or the victim was dropped or dropped off the machine.
In 18 cases, the rider hit a stationary object, such as a pole or fence, and in 15 cases, the rider hit a moving object, such as another off-road vehicle, animal or motor vehicle.
In some cases, CBC News could not determine what happened because there was not enough information available.
The family said that ice water rescue equipment should be mandatory
Ten people killed on ATV and snowmobiles, including Pat Valardo, entered open water or frozen.
Before the doorbell rang at Brian and Michelle Valardo’s home for more than two hours, Brian was sending text messages back and forth with his brother.
When Pat told him that he and a friend were going to spend the night on the ice, Brian was worried.
“I said,’What the hell are you doing?'” Brian remembered.
Pat assured his brother that it was all right, they were only five minutes away from his friend’s house. Brian told him to be careful.
When Brian and Michelle met Pat’s friends in the hospital, he told them that Pat was riding in front of him and driving into unexpected open water. My friend got into the water, but was able to get out of the car and call 911. Dispatchers use GPS Determine their position on the river, close to the minister’s face.
Michelle said: “As far as we know, the Kenny Bekasis River is a tidal river.”
“Therefore, the tide comes in and out every day, which will cause the water to push to the ice surface, and the ice cubes may disperse. Therefore, it is very dangerous. You may drive on the ice in one minute and two hours later. It is open water. .”
Pat was wearing typical ATV safety equipment that day, including a helmet and high boots. But he doesn’t have a floating suit or ice axe, and his family thinks it can help him survive in the water.
They want to see new rules that mandate that riders who plan to drive on ice have ice water rescue safety equipment and question whether riders should be allowed even on ice at night.
Need more knowledge
They hope to get more education and be more aware of the potential dangers brought by off-road vehicles.
“I only say forever [overestimate] Your experience, no matter how high your skill level is, never underestimate nature and weather and how fast the change is,” Michelle said.
Nova Scotia is the only province in the Atlantic that requires adults to receive mandatory training before driving off-road vehicles. Even so, there are some exemptions.
According to CBC’s analysis, of the four Atlantic provinces, Nova Scotia has the lowest ATV and snowmobile death rate at 2.38 per 100,000 since 2018.
Injuries associated with rollovers are a risk for inexperienced riders
The remaining three Atlantic provinces allow adults to go out to buy ATVs and then use them without any formal instructions on the machine.
Brian Valardo said: “When it comes to ATVs, basically you have to register the car and add some insurance to it, and then you can continue traveling.”
According to Dr. Richard Louis, an injury prevention expert at Trauma NB, a major injury prevention agency in the province, for people who are new to ATVing, injuries related to car rollovers are a big problem.
Louis said that when the driver turns too fast, a rollover may occur.
Louis said: “It’s really important to take these safety courses, or at least spend some time riding this type of heavy machine for the first time.”
“Obviously, … the consequences of dangerous behavior will not only fall on the rider, but also affect family, friends and other parts of the community.”
NL’s cross-country fatalities surge
Since 2018, New Brunswick has had the highest number of deaths from all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles, but Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest death rate after adjustment, at 7.31 deaths per 100,000, while the new Brunswick has 6.29 deaths per 100,000 people.
At its peak in 2020, 16 people have been killed on all-terrain vehicles or snowmobiles in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl said: “This number is higher than in previous years, which is definitely shocking.” Jolene Garland said in an interview in February 2021.
The surge in deaths prompted the creation of the Royal Mounted Police of Newfoundland and Labrador Public awareness campaign.
It has seen the Mounted Police strengthen law enforcement on the trails, but they are also trying to attract people’s hearts. They broadcast the news on social media channels, and the Newfoundland and Labrador wine company took out billboards to help spread the news.
Garland said: “We call on people to consider the things that are left.”
“If something unfortunate happens, what about your loved ones? How will this affect them? Therefore, some simple, high-quality visual effects and some direct information will be supported by us. We hope this will affect people of different levels. “
The Royal Mounted Police of Newfoundland and Labrador also reminded the public to wear helmets when using off-road vehicles, hoping that this information will encourage others to make different choices. According to Garland, of the 16 people who died in 2020, 13 did not wear a helmet or improperly worn a helmet, and 11 of the 16 riders were damaged.
She said: “This is definitely not about sprinkling salt on the wounds of family members or’I told you’ or similar wounds.”
“We just hope that by communicating what happened to one person, we can somehow prevent it from happening to other people.”
Not sure what changes the government will make
According to Garland, it will take several months to see if the campaign will help reduce the death toll. The first phase of the campaign ended in March, but the second phase is scheduled to begin before the long weekend in May. It will focus on the correct approach of ATV operators.
A CBC News investigation found that since 2018, at least 111 people have died from ATVs or snowmobiles in Atlantic Canada. 4:58
According to reports, by 2021, there will be 2 publicly reported ATV fatalities in Newfoundland and Labrador. In one case, the victim’s machine crossed the embankment into the lake, and in the other case a pedestrian was knocked down by an ATV that had fled the scene. A press release from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The Newfoundland and Labrador government recently completed a review of the ATV and snowmobile regulations that have been ongoing since 2018, and is currently consulting stakeholders on possible legislative changes.
This province is the only province in Atlantic Canada that does not require safety training for young people. The law does not require helmets to be worn on snowmobiles and shoulder to shoulder.
Sarah Stoodley, Minister of Digital Government and Services NL, acknowledged that the province’s rules are “outdated” but have yet to say what the new regulations look like.
Strauch said: “There are so many people killed and involved in all-terrain vehicle and snowmobile accidents… The thinking process is frightening. It really makes us have to make any changes. This is imminent.”
Keep memory
Back at St. John, Brian and Michelle Valardo treasured memories of Pat’s entire family. His favorite shirt, they made it into a pillow. Handwritten card written by Pat when he was a kid. His last message on their answering machine.
The brothers are two and a half years apart, but Pat and Brian are inseparable. It’s always been Pat and Brian, but now it’s just Brian.
When they heard that Pat was one of at least 111 people killed in the area, the couple described the person as heartbreaking.
Michelle said: “This is one life, but it affects several lives in many different ways.”
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